


Just a kid I once knew

by chiapslock



Series: The kind of love we're dying for [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: #SheithMonth2k17, It will get better I swear, M/M, Mention of human experimentation, Mind Control, Slavery, This is a dark fic, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 19:36:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11675688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiapslock/pseuds/chiapslock
Summary: Keith still can't believe that Shiro is here, even if he's still unconscious. When they had told him that the Kerberos mission had failed he had thought he would have never seen Shiro again.He's so happy.Then Shiro wakes up and the first thing he says is "Yes, Master".





	Just a kid I once knew

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to tell everyone immediately that this is the first part of a series that will delve more deeply into this verse, every story will have it's own warnings, so please read them carefully. Future installments might have (even more) themes that could disturb people.
> 
>  
> 
> Written for Day 1 of Sheith Month: Yes, Sir (Only I could take the flirty/porny prompt and turn it into... this)

Keith looks down at the body on the table and doesn't believe what he's seeing. He had followed the ship that had crash landed in hope of finding out why there was something that kept calling him. Hoping he could finally find some answers.

He hadn't expected Shiro.

"Shiro?" he asks and his friends opens his eyes, slowly and weakly. Their eyes meet and Shiro says something that Keith doesn't really understand before fainting again.

He checks his pulse quickly and when he is sure the other is still fine he frees him and maneuvers him enough that he can carry him out of this camp.

Then three cadets swarm the tent and it gets pretty hectic from there on.

 

At the shack he leaves Shiro to sleep, but he doesn't move very far. He can hear the cadets bickering in the other room, and he debates telling them to _shut the fuck up_ because he fears they are going to wake Shiro up. He stays silent and, instead, studies Shiro.

He look older, so much older, with a big scar on his face and white hairs. He also doesn’t have a human arm anymore. Keith tries not to look at it, but it's difficult to pry his eyes from it.

God, what has happened to him? What have they done to him?

From what he had seen of the security cameras of the camp, Shiro had been silent while the garrison team had interrogated him, almost too silent. He had also tried to blend in, almost as if he was unsure. It was completely unlike the Shiro he knew and he was worried sick.

"What have they done to you?" he murmurs, worried and scared. Shiro doesn't stir, but it's probably for the better.

It takes another half an hour for Shiro to move and when Keith sees that the other is starting to wake up he stands up quickly. He doesn't know what he should do. Their relationship during the Garrison days had been a _maybe_ , a _one day_.

When the news that the Kerberos mission had failed had reached him, it had killed Keith to know that they could never have anything more. He doesn’t want to hope, doesn’t want to be disappointed, but his heart is beating fast and it might be too late.

Shiro opens his eyes slowly, and Keith can immediately see the confusion in his eyes. He hurries forward and kneels by Shiro's bed "Shiro!" he calls with a smile. The other turns and looks at him. It makes Keith happy to see Shiro relaxing slightly when he sees him, so he smiles more "It's good to have you back" he says, but Shiro doesn't answer.

Keith frowns, but the other is still looking at him without worry. He doesn't look happy, but he looks at peace. Maybe he can't talk?

"Shiro can you... can you say anything?" he asks, a little worried.

Shiro nods, immediately "Of course, Master".

Keith freezes. There's something almost robotic in Shiro's voice, the way he said it without hesitating. It feels wrong and there are shivers down Keith's arms.

"I... Shiro? Why are you calling me Master?" he doesn't know what his expression is, because Shiro looks confused. Almost... almost scared.

"Because you are my master. Are you not?" Shiro's question is genuine, he doesn't see anything wrong with it and Keith seethes.

They must have done something to him, this entities who had kidnapped him, and he's going to fix it.

"Stay put!" he tells to Shiro and runs out, where the cadets are talking.

"Oh, how is Shiro?" the annoying one asks, but Keith doesn't have time for him, he looks at the little one.

"You were saying something about intercepting messages? Tell me everything"

 

They talk for almost an hour, trying to put together some sort of hypotheses that makes sense without any reliable information to go on. They don't know what this _Voltron_ is, nor exactly what these aliens want with earth, but Keith shows them his research, the lion paintings, and they form a plan, more or less.

When it's all over Keith nods to everyone else and goes back to the room where he had left Shiro. He remembers he had left some food on the table while he was watching him sleep and he hopes Shiro has eaten something.

He comes back and he freezes by the door.

Shiro is still seated on the bed, his face slightly turned where Keith had been. He doesn't look like he had moved a muscles since Keith had left him.

"Shiro?" his voice trembles, scared, unsettled "why are you... what are you doing?"

Shiro doesn't move, doesn't look at him when he answers "Master told me to stay" he says like it's completely obvious, like Keith _should know_. Oh God.

"Have... have you eaten?" he asks, because maybe he has misunderstood, maybe he's just paranoid.

Once more Shiro doesn't even move his eyes to look at him. _Oh God_. "Master told me to stay".

Keith had known that something was wrong before, but this? This is too much. He runs to Shiro's bedside and kneels beside him. "Look at me, Shiro" he begs, and the other complies immediately. _Master_. "I'm not your master. Please, Shiro. It's me, Keith"

Shiro nods looking at him "Of course. Master Keith"

"No!" he screams and Shiro flinches, minutely "I'm not... you're not... Shiro, you're my friend not... not whatever they..." he stops doesn't even know how to continue.

The Garrison had trained them for combat, of course, and he knows PTSD, he knows what torture can do to someone, but this is too much.

"I will fix you" he promises then, under his breath, " _I will fix you_ ".

 

He puts food in front of Shiro and tells him to eat, feels sick to his stomach when the other does it immediately. He tries to remind himself that he's going to fix him.

"I need to go, Shiro" he says, looking at him. He's worried about leaving him alone, but even more worried about bringing him with them. What if something happens? He's not sure Shiro can take care of himself.

"Of course, Master" the other says and Keith nods, tries to contain his grimace.

"Yeah, okay. Great" he says, standing up and then moving towards the door. He stops and looks back "what are you going to do, while I'm away?" He doesn't know why he asks it, some sort of sick curiosity.

Shiro looks at him in confusion for a second "What do you want me to do?"

Keith frowns and then he looks back "No. Not what I want you to do, what do _you_ want to do?"

Shiro seems to be even more confused. It's like they are talking a different language.

"Are you going to eat while I'm away?" he asks then, because he needs to understand.

"If you tell me to, Master" Shiro immediately replies and it takes a second to register. If Keith leaves him alone... Shiro won't do anything. Will just sit there and die of starvation. He can't. He...

"No, you're coming with me" he says, and the only hopes he has is that this is something that can be undone quickly. Maybe it's some kind of alien manipulation, some... he doesn't even know at this point.

Shiro stands up immediately and he's still in the clothes they have found him with. He doesn't look bothered, he doesn't even seem to care.

Keith can't look at him like this "Please, change. Please" Shiro removes his shirt immediately, without even blinking.

He shouldn't be this surprised, but he is. Would Shiro hurt himself if Keith asked him? He feels nauseated.

"I'll be outside. Your... there are some clothes in the wardrobe. They are yours from before. Put them on and then... come to us" he hates what he's doing, that he's ordering Shiro to do this. But what else can he do?

He goes back to the living room and the others are looking at him, expectantly.

"How is he?" they ask and Keith doesn't have an answer to give them.

 

They keep looking at Shiro like they don't know what to do with him, and Keith understands them completely.

He has tried to explain it to them, tried to prepare them, but Shiro is walking beside him and he doesn't bulge. It's probably Keith's fault, he had told him to _stay close to me_.

Lance, the annoying one, keeps looking back at them. The third time he does Keith glowers "What?"

"Why has he chosen you?" Lance asks at the end, and he sees Pidge and Hunk share an incredulous look but Lance raises his hands "I'm sorry! It's just... maybe it can help us understand what this is"

Keith wants to be mad but it's not the worst thing he has ever said so he looks back at Shiro. He doesn't seem to be listening.

Lance tries again "Shiro, why have you chosen Keith as a _master_?"

Shiro ignores him again, almost as if Lance presence doesn't even register to his radar. Keith says "Answer the question, Shiro" and the other complies immediately.

"Because Keith is my master. I don't chose my master. He just is" his answer is a little confused, like he's not sure he understands the question. Keith still feels sick.

"That's freaky" Pidge says, under his breath, but Keith hears him anyway and he almost snarls, protectively.

"Shut up" he tells him, anger seething inside him. Shiro has probably suffered so much and he doesn't deserve this. Doesn't deserve to be humiliated, treated like this by a bunch of strangers. _How dare they_.

Pidge seems to be sorry, at least, and he walks a little bit faster to stay away from them. Good.

After that... everything becomes a little strange.

 

The red lion brings them to another planet thanks to a wormhole and Keith is more confused than anything else.

When the Princess frozen for ten thousand years explains them about Voltron, the Galra and the Alteans, all he can think about is the fact that Shiro hasn't said anything this entire time. He would have loved this, had always dreamed of meeting alien life.

Be careful what you wish for, right?  
He misses Shiro. His Shiro, his friend, his almost something more. He has missed him for more than a year, but this is so much worse.

"Is your friend okay?" Coran finally asks, looking at Shiro like he isn't sure what to think. Keith wants to shield him from this, wants to make them understand that Shiro is so much more than this.

"He... I think your _Galra_ have done something to him. I don't know what... he's..." he stops, doesn't know how to explain it.

"He only responds when Keith says him to do it" Lance says for him, with a grimace "and he calls him master like some sort of strange sex play and..."

"Shut up!" Keith screams, angry and hurt and scared. How could he even joke about that? How could... he stops, tries to make himself under control, but he can't.

Lance doesn't listen to him "No, look, it's kind of messed up and..." before anyone can do anything Shiro dashes forward.

Keith sees it and immediately says "Stop!" and Shiro does so immediately. Keith is terrified to see that he has his right arm raised towards Lance's throat.

"Woah" Lance says and he can hear the tremble in his voice "Oh my God"

The Princess and Coran are shocked and Keith is livid.

"What the hell, Shiro? _What the hell_?" he screams and Shiro looks at him, but he only seems confused "What were you doing?"

"You told him to stop talking. He didn't, master" Shiro replies, immediately. He hasn't moved, hasn't lowered his arm.

"See?" Lance says, taking several steps back "that's what I'm talking about!"

"You never hurt another human, Shiro!" he screams, and he realizes, the way he phrased it, it's an order. Shiro nods immediately. He agrees not because he thinks Keith is right, but because he is his master.

He looks back at the princess and Coran and doesn't know what to say.

It's Coran that talks, in the end "I might be able to scan him with our medical pods, see if there's something wrong with him, while you go and search for the other lions. I think you should stay here with me, Keith".

Keith nods and tells Shiro to lower his arms.

 

At the end of the day they form Voltron. He can still feel his connection with Black, faint as it is, but the day isn't a win for him.

When Coran had told him about the implant on Shiro's brain he had hoped that maybe they could fix it, make it better, but Coran had shaken his head. "If I tried to remove it, I might cause irreversible damages. I'm not sure he would be able to... to even walk again, even if he survives. Which isn't probable"

"What should I do? Let him call me Master for the rest of our life?" he had asked, hysterical.  
Coran hadn't been able to answer him.

So now he is in his room and Shiro has a bed near his. They had tried to give him his own room but Shiro had been uncomfortable and Keith felt better by having him near him, where he can control him.

Still. He doesn't know what to do.

He looks at the red helmet he has in his hands (red, because the black armor had been lost with his paladin long ago) and he doesn't know what he can do. He wants to cry, he might be crying a little.

"Shiro..." he says but he's not sure what he wants to say. "Are you okay, Shiro?" he asks in the end.

Shiro looks at him, surprised, as if it wasn't a question he had expected. What had they done to him? What had they made him do?

"I'm ready to follow orders" Shiro replies and it's not what Keith had asked him. So he shakes his head.

"No! I asked if you're okay, answer me!" he knows he shouldn't scream, but what else can he do?

Shiro doesn't say anything, he looks troubled. He's thinking, but he's clearly having difficulties. Keith almost laughs.

Of course the only thing they hadn't programmed him to do was answer if he was okay. He falls down on his bed and closes his eyes, tries not to break down.

He must fall asleep like this because when he opens his eyes again it feels like a long time has passed. He looks to his side, where Shiro is still seated on the bed and for a moment he imagines this is all a dream. None of this has happened, none of this is real and Shiro hasn't been turned into this... this thing.

He then realizes Shiro hasn't moved.

"Shiro... have you slept?" he asks, his voice low. He knows the answer already, but he hopes, for a second.

"Master hasn't told me to" he wants to puke. He feels sick to his stomach. He wants to die.

"Don't..." he says and he's choking up, he can feel the tears come and there's nothing he can do to stop them "Don't call me master, that's an order"

Shiro looks surprised again but then he nods "Yes, Sir".

Keith cries that night, for hours, unable to say anything else but _I'm sorry, Shiro, I'm so sorry_.

Shiro watches over him, never looks away, because Keith hasn't ordered him to.

 

**Author's Note:**

> ....I'm sorry?


End file.
